Brenda Walsh
Brenda Walsh, played by Shannen Doherty, is a character introduced in the first series of the ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' continuity. She was the show's female lead from Seasons 1 to 4, until Doherty's exit prompted the character to be written off. Brenda returned in the franchise's third spin-off, 90210. ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' Introduction (S1) At the beginning of the first series, Brenda had moved to Beverly Hills with her parents, Jim and Cindy, and her brother Brandon. Among Brenda's new friends were Kelly Taylor and Donna Martin. Among the new friends Brandon made was Dylan McKay, a mysterious loner with a sensitive side. While Brenda initially believed the negative rumors about Dylan, her opinion began to change after actually meeting him. Brenda and Dylan (S1-2) and Brenda (Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty)]] Brenda and Dylan soon developed romantic feelings for one another, and chose to explore them. However, their first date seemed to be headed for an unhappy ending after Dylan lost his temper following an encounter with his father. A shaken Dylan then surprised Brenda by displaying remorse and opening up to her, leading to the new couple's first kiss. When the topic of sex eventually entered their relationship, Brenda declared that she wasn't ready—while Dylan asserted that he was. This initially created friction between the two, but Dylan's sensitive side would lead him to remain patient and faithful. As the end of the first season approached, Brenda reached the point of being ready to sleep with Dylan; she lost her virginity to him on the night of their Spring Dance. The couple's ongoing sex life soon created a brief pregnancy scare, which marked the beginning of a highly traumatic period for Brenda. Stress soon led her to break up with Dylan, though they would later reunite. By this time, however, Brenda's parents had become opposed to the relationship, which prompted much antagonism. Jim and Cindy eventually felt that it would be best for Brenda to spend some time away, and offered her a trip to Paris for the summer. She accepted, and was accompanied by Donna. Paris and the triangle (S3) While on vacation, Brenda met a fellow American named Rick—a well-mannered young man who believed her to be French. While maintaining the charade, she began to develop romantic feelings for him. She then became conflicted between her newfound temptation and her loyalty to Dylan. With their time in Paris ending, Brenda eventually shared a kiss with Rick. He extended an invitation for her to follow him and continue the vacation elsewhere. Hesitation caused her to narrowly miss this opportunity, and Rick left Paris alone. It ultimately remained unclear just what her decision would have been. After returning to America, Brenda fully reconciled with her parents and continued seeing Dylan. Though she told him about Rick, she also assured him that the fling was ultimately meaningless. However, Brenda and Donna were soon surprised to spot Rick at a video store in Beverly Hills. She then resumed her friendship with him, once again employing an accent and presenting the illusion that she was French. In time, though, the charade began to crumble as several of Brenda's loved ones addressed her in Rick's presence, making it quite apparent that she wasn't a foreigner. A distraught and guilty Brenda soon blurted out her true identity in her true voice, and then rushed away. After taking a moment to absorb everything, Rick caught up to Brenda and eased her pain. He then stated that while he liked "Brenda DuBois," he could fall in love with Brenda Walsh. She soon found herself romantically conflicted once again, but initially remained with Dylan. The two later faced another break-up, however, due to an apparently growing number of differences. In the process of their split, Dylan admitted that he, like Brenda, had also had a fling while she'd been away for the summer. The two then shared a parting kiss. Brenda soon began dating Rick with a generally positive outlook on the future. Her mood quickly changed upon discovering that Dylan was seeing her friend Kelly. She soon realized that she wasn't over Dylan, and separated from Rick on good terms. Though Brenda and Kelly's relationship was initially strained, they later reconciled and told Dylan to arrive at a choice between them. He eventually chose Kelly, and—per Kelly's insistence—the new couple admitted to Brenda that they'd had a fling during the summer. Brenda walked away after stating that she wanted nothing more to do with either of them. As Kelly continually reached out to her over time, however, the girls once again rekindled their friendship. College and London (S4) After graduating high school, Brenda met and began dating a rich young man named Stuart Carson. Stuart was quickly smitten enough to propose to her. Though Brenda accepted, a decision was ultimately made to abort the wedding. She joined an animal activism team while in college, and ended up being arrested for aiding the group during an illegal trespassing mission. It was around this time that Brenda had begun to seriously pursue acting. After several successful performances in college plays, she eventually chose to leave America in order to work on-stage in London. Brenda correctly suspected that romantic feelings were beginning to blossom between Brandon and Kelly, and expressed her blessing before leaving. Brenda and Dylan shared a farewell kiss following his break-up with Kelly, with plans to resume their romance upon her return in the coming months. The reunion, however, would end up occurring years later than intended (due to Shannen Doherty's imminent exit from the show), taking place off-screen while Dylan himself was out of the country. Interval During her time away from Beverly Hills, Brenda became a play director. She also visited Kelly shortly after her friend gave birth to a son she had with Dylan. Despite the physical distance between them, Brenda also maintained a close relationship with her brother Brandon. ''90210'' Comeback Brenda returned to Beverly Hills in 90210, the continuity's fourth series. At the Peach Pit, she reunited with Nat, the restaurant's owner, and her old friend Kelly, who had become a guidance counselor at West Beverly High. Additionally, she was later reunited with Kelly's sibling Erin, and learned that her old friend Donna, like Kelly, had become a mother. Brenda was soon given the chance to direct a musical at her old school, and she accepted. Not long afterwards, she offered motherly advice to a troubled student actress named Adrianna. It was also revealed that Brenda had been in touch with Dylan, who had separated from Kelly and since gone off to travel the world in support of various causes. Brenda suspected that Kelly wasn't yet over Dylan, while Kelly began to suspect that Brenda was still interested in him as well. Brenda took offense to the suggestion, but the women quickly reconciled before again going their separate ways. Soon afterwards in private, Brenda deleted Dylan's number from her cell phone. Later, she spent time at a party with West Beverly teacher Ryan Matthews, who Kelly had held a brief romantic interest in, and left with him before departing town. Revelations Following her return to Beverly Hills, Brenda continued her stage work, but became mysteriously distant from Kelly. When Kelly became confused and upset, Brenda eventually revealed that she'd slept with Ryan, and had become ashamed. Kelly then walked away in silence. Following a physical examination, Brenda learned that she couldn't have children. When Adrianna completed rehab for drug use, she asked Kelly to invite Brenda to a celebration for herself and others. Distraught, Brenda initially declined, but later changed her mind and attended the event along with Kelly. This eventually led Kelly, Brenda, and Adrianna to discover that Adrianna had become pregnant. During a private discussion with Kelly afterwards, Brenda revealed what she'd learned from her doctor. Kelly provided comfort, and the two made amends once again. Brenda later departed for China and adopted a little girl, who she temporarily left in Jim and Cindy's care. She returned shortly after Adrianna had given birth, helping to comfort her as she gave the baby up for adoption. Category:Walsh Family